Searching for the perfect mix

Bartender Zhang Chi stands behind a bar counter and pours rum and other ingredients into a shaker. After mixing the cocktail, he begins working on another drink for guests.

"I don't like a nine-to-five job, sitting in an office every day. This job offers me freedom and the motivation to be creative," says Zhang, 27, who works at Fennel Lounge in Shanghai. He has been a bartender for about three years.

Zhang joined the recent China final of Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition. His cocktail - Three days in Thailand - is made using the pungent Tom Yum Kung soup and Bacardi rum. It's the third time he has participated in the competition.